Wednesday, February 17, 2010

SHUTTER ISLAND (Film Review)

By Michael Gingold

The first thing that should be said here about SHUTTER
ISLAND is that it’s not the consistently scarifying horror film that some of
the ads are making it out as—and nor is it trying to be one. While there are
plenty of creepy events and imagery scattered throughout its running time,
here’s a movie that truly warrants description as a “psychological thriller”—no
surprise coming from Martin Scorsese, a director who has always been just as
interested, if not moreso, in tortured souls as in tortured bodies.

When he last visited genre territory with 1991’s CAPE FEAR
remake, Scorsese changed the targets of Max Cady’s revenge from a
squeaky-clean, all-American brood to the ultimate dysfunctional family, to the
point where it eventually became difficult to feel for them. A more
consistently sympathetic protagonist is SHUTTER ISLAND’s Teddy Daniels
(Leonardo DiCaprio), a member of the U.S. Marshals who is first seen heaving
into a toilet on a boat en route to the titular locale, located in the waters
off Boston, in 1954, where he and new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) have
been assigned to investigate the disappearance of an inmate at the Ashecliffe
Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Teddy regains his physical bearing when he reaches the
island, but his psyche isn’t as stable. He’s tormented by visions of his dead
wife Dolores (Michelle Williams) and the victims he encountered when, as an
Army soldier, he helped liberate the Nazi death camp in Dachau. The latter experience
means that it’s dislike at first sight when Teddy meets the German Dr. Naehring
(Max von Sydow), one of the key staff under Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), who
gives Teddy and Chuck a tour of Ashecliffe and explains the situation. The
vanished prisoner—er, patient was a mother who murdered her three children and
appears to have vanished without a trace from her locked room within the
highest-security of the facility’s three wards. The attempt to track her down
will lead Teddy into a mystery that comes to encompass more ghosts from his
past, plus the possibility of bizarre medical experiments, secret conspiracies,
Cold War paranoia and visits to dark, dripping passageways, the local cemetery
and its mausoleum, the imposing cliffs at the edge of Shutter Island and the
lighthouse beyond them—and oh yes, a good deal of the action takes place during
a cataclysmic hurricane.

All the ingredients, in other words, are here for a wild,
lurid Gothic ride, and Scorsese certainly doesn’t hold back. He unleashes the
full bag of filmmaker’s tricks to create a modern, full-color (complete with
brighter-than-natural blood), widescreen version of a vintage picture by
admitted influence Val Lewton, with sudden, sharp camera moves and small,
apparently intentional jump cuts to keep the audience on edge. As usual,
Scorsese has marshaled sterling production values from his regular team of
craftspeople, with impeccable cinematography by Robert Richardson, production
design by Dante Ferretti and costumes by Sandy Powell, plus an eclectic and
spooky assembly of music from the divergent likes of Gustav Mahler, György
Ligeti, Krzysztof Penderecki, John Cage and Brian Eno. Thelma Schoonmaker’s
editing is, for the most part, razor-sharp from scene to scene—though the movie
as a whole could stand to be tightened up somewhat.

That’s because the longer the story (scripted by Laeta
Kalogridis, adapting Dennis Lehane’s dense and twisty puzzle of a novel) goes
on, the more it becomes clear where things are ultimately headed. As he plunges
into the third act, Scorsese seems determined to plumb every nook and cranny of
Teddy’s psyche at the expense of narrative economy, and at least one major
revelation is both explained in dialogue and dramatized in flashback when
either one or the other (probably the latter) would have sufficed. Nonetheless,
DiCaprio holds the center throughout, his still-boyish looks adding to the
vulnerability of a man struggling to submerge his insecurities beneath an
authority-figure exterior. Ruffalo, as the one guy he can trust on this
assignment, offers a fine sounding board and welcome levity, Kingsley and von
Sydow evoke just the right amounts of empowerment and suspicion and Williams
allows Teddy’s deceased beloved to become fully alive in his eyes. Making
strong impressions in smaller roles are the impeccably cast likes of Emily
Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, John Carroll Lynch, Ted Levine, Elias Koteas,
actor/HOME MOVIE director Christopher Denham and Jackie Earle Haley, whose sole
but lengthy pivotal scene opposite DiCaprio promises great things from his
Freddy Krueger.

SHUTTER
ISLAND effectively raises the hackles at moments like this, but Scorsese’s
endgame isn’t to send the audience reeling from the theater in terror, but to
leave them shaken from the personal tragedy at the story’s core. As such,
Saturday-night thrillseekers may be a bit disappointed or nonplussed, while
those who can get on the director’s wavelength will appreciate how he harks
back to the virtues of a classic style of thriller-making. One thing’s for
sure: His craft is so aggressive and unrelenting that nobody who sees SHUTTER
ISLAND is likely to be bored.

21 comments:

I just finished the book and loved it. I can't wait to see what the director, Leo and Mark Ruffalo do with the story and their characters. Planning on going after work on Friday...taking my mom...LOL She loves Leo.

Everyone realizes that mortgage holder advances have turn out to be progressively mainstream as the advantages from secured mortgage holder credits stretched out to unsecured property holder credits. Be that as it may, not everyone knows the numerous uses that property holder credits have and how other advance sorts can be improved when they are uniquely customized for mortgage holders. Seeing how mortgage holder advances work will give you a thought of what's in store from the distinctive credit sorts and their employments. auto title loans

Claim advances are the non-response offer of a part of an offended party's future settlement continues in return for a quick loan. Individual harm and specialist pay cases can take numerous years to be determined. A claim credit can give a possible budgetary help to bolster your case and everyday costs amid this troublesome period. Cash Advance San-diego

There are some tea vehicle financing affiliations online today that put discriminating imperativeness in giving auto title propels and you'll find these affiliations offer diverse decisions in light of the way that they create with a wide heap of the best auto account affiliations transversely over North America and even Canada. Remember an informed borrower is a keen borrower, great circumstances to you. auto title loans chicago

As a rule for some individuals, a terrible credit auto advance is the most obvious opportunity to claim either an utilized or new auto. The dismal truth is, as to the condition of Nevada, numerous greater money related establishments have more confinements and inner prerequisite procedures that numerous online moneylenders. Check Cashing

To judge the best approach, make strides toward the payday drives association that is moving a lower APR. Typically, most payday headway affiliations give a cost breakdown each 100-dollar expands that match with the rate. Cash Advance San-diego

On the off abnormal that you end up in an unsuccessful mishap while the action is on-going, it is a watchful settlement to formal discourse about with the coffer or comfort power befitting in apperception the end longing to expect of a wonderful cognizance. Auto Title Loans Chicago

Likewise, on allurement for to the moneylender for cash went ahead to you're opening in a truncate ambit of time. It's profitable is that you are not uncovered to fax any attestation and clearing examination material.Check Cashing San-diego

With a specific completed target to be have all the key qualities for a payday credit you must be more than 18 years of age and in work with a take home wage of at any rate £750 persistently. You should also have a record with a liberal charge card. Cash Advance

Above all else before making your brain first deal with your credit report and afterward perceive the amount you can spend. Prepared financing pros will assist you with obtaining your credit with the best practical rates and terms accessible. Cash Advance Chicago

Being that a vehicle title advancement is seen rapidly hazard credit for both moneylender and borrower, the high premium rate is scrutinized. Unmistakable borrowers default on this advancement in light of the way that they are in a disturbing position to begin or were not in the position regardless to perceive out the acknowledgment. This makes it fundamentally more risky for the bank. auto title loans online chicago

In any case, force up and admeasurement substituting choices that are achievable to you. Bike Loans are one such development that has the most extreme accord you banknote in the way that you like. Payday Loans San-diego

When you adjudge that this is a acceptable advantage for your situation, afresh you accept several decisions to make. Aboriginal of all, you accept to adjudge absolutely how abundant you're activity to borrow. Unfortunately, some bodies accomplish the aberration of borrowing abundant added than they need. This can accomplish a bad bearings worse, if you're not careful. The aphorism of deride should consistently be - to borrow what you need, acceptation what is bare for the emergency and in some cases, what it will booty for a little beanbag until payday.Payday Loans

In case you're prepared to apply for an individual, secured, online credit, visit Owner Financing Home Mortgage or to get some strong tips and data on different home advances and renegotiating choices. Cash Advance San-diego

Firstly, everybody ought to apply for budgetary guide and an understudy advance, regardless of the possibility that they think they won't qualify. There are various elements required in the qualification procedure and there is dependably a probability for a man to qualify, regardless of the possibility that all they thought they would get is an endorsed understudy advance. Auto Title Loans